Everything you need to understand or teach A Light in the Window by Jan Karon.
Once again, as in Karon's previous novel At Home in Mitford (1994; see separate entry), separation and loneliness are underlying themes. Father Tim's restful vacation in Ireland with his cousins Walter and Katherine has given him time to think about his future in Mitford. Still not ready to commit to marriage, he intends to give Cynthia a Waterford crystal vase and maybe his mother's amethyst brooch and accept her invitation to "go steady."
However...